Alaska Cruise......Aug or Sept??

Question

Beautiful Glaciers? or it doesn't matter which month? Which will be colder weather? Thank you!! I've ask a few questions about this Alaska trip because I'm trying to get it right.....I wanna go at the right time. I am aware that weather changes and you can't be certain until you get there but just from people's past experiences. Thank you!

Answer 1

Born and raised in Alaska and I would say Augest, Its prettyer, the leaves are JUST starting to change and its alot warmer than september.  I think you will also see alot more animal activity in augest, with the bird migrations and all that.   I would def say AUGEST.  But in the long run, Alaska is just very nice and no matter what month you choose, it wont change the view.

Answer 2

As others have said:

August is a bit warmer and more expensive.

September is cooler and cheaper.

New info:

September is darker (duh!) and that takes away part of the Alaskan experience (20 hours of light) but potentially adds another: you are more likely to see aurora (northern lights).  Sign up for an aurora alert (google UAF aurora forecast) and you can get email/cellphone alerts when they are active.  Or leave a message with the ship's bridge to wake you up.

August IS warmer but the air is wetter.  More rain and clouds (still a c**p shoot).  

September is shoulder season.  We tell (demand that) relatives come up in May or September.  We are too busy in June, July and August doing our thing and avoiding tourists to entertain.  Less traffic, less lines, less mosquitos* in September.

* A few freezing REALLY knock down the bugs.  That is worth being an extra sweater in my book.

Also, if you prefer, in September you can look for "repositioning cruises".  That is when they move ships from Alaska to Japan or Mexico.  So you can get unusual connections (Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands to Japan or Juneau to LA).   They don't spend as much time in port, but you see some terrian (Aleutian Islands / Kamchatka) that few people do.  Your fellow passangers will be more serious world travelers or birders who seek that kind of experience.

Most people come in August for good reasons (warmer, more salmon, more feeding bears, school vacation), but I'd prefer to come in September.

Hope that helps,

David

Answer 3

I used to live in Alaska, If I were you I would go in August when the weather is still considerably nice. The first yr. I was there we had 10 ft. of snow by October 9th.

Answer 4

Sept will be a little cheaper and a little colder. Most of the kids will be back in school and its the end of the season so most of the shops will have a 50-70% sale.

Answer 5

september is colder and cheaper.

Answer 6

It will be cheaper for you to go in September.  The weather may be alittle cooler, but you won't have a problem getting in and out of the passages to see the glaciers.